Renowned Israeli historian and publicist Yuval Noah Harari pointed to several important signs that as of today, it is Ukraine, not Russia, that is winning the war, although the Kremlin is actively trying to paint a different picture.
Points of attention
- Ukraine's ability to fight back with its own weapons highlights the country's military prowess and combat experience in Europe.
- The involvement of soldiers from DPRK on the Russian side contrasts with Ukraine's reliance on its own forces, showcasing Ukraine's independence in the conflict.
Ukraine is still winning
Harari draws attention to the fact that the main goal of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022 was the complete subjugation of Ukraine and the elimination of its state sovereignty.
However, the unpleasant truth for the Kremlin is that as of today, the aggressor country controls less Ukrainian territory than in August 2022.
Moreover, we cannot ignore the fact that the Russian army has not been able to capture a single strategically important city, such as Kharkiv or Kyiv, in all these years.
Russian troops have already suffered devastating losses on and off the battlefield, but have gained a meager amount of territory in return.
It’s as if, more than three years after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the US had only managed to capture 20 percent of the country, suffering 1 million casualties. Would anyone consider that an American victory? asks Yuval Noah Harari.
What is also important to understand is that Russia involved soldiers from its ally, the DPRK, in the fighting, while Ukraine is still fighting exclusively with its own soldiers.
The historian draws attention to the fact that in the first months of the war, Ukraine fought back almost exclusively with its own weapons.
In his opinion, Ukraine would have achieved a complete military victory in 2022 or 2023 if it had immediately received everything it needed from its allies.
There is no denying the fact that only the Ukrainian army really knows how to fight in Europe.
The American military also has a lot to learn from Ukraine's combat experience and its advanced arms industry. This is probably one of the reasons why President Trump has recently become more supportive of Ukraine. He likes to support winners, the historian emphasized.
